METHODS AND APPARATUS TO CORRELATE A DEMOGRAPHIC SEGMENT WITH A FIXED DEVICE

• US 20160112522A1
• Filed: 12/19/2014
• Published: 04/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Inventors: Ramaswamy, Arun, Besehanic, Jan, Abello, Jean-Pierre
• Granted Patent: US 10,587,706 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture to correlate a demographic segment with a fixed device are disclosed. An example method includes accessing a record indicating a public Internet Protocol (IP) address used by a fixed device. A monitoring data record received from a mobile device is accessed. A demographic segment of a user of the mobile device is determined. The mobile device is associated with the fixed device when an IP address of the mobile device from the monitoring data record matches the public IP address used by the fixed device. The demographic segment of the user of the mobile device is associated with the fixed device based on the association of the fixed device and the mobile device.

Claims

1. A method of identifying a demographic segment associated with a fixed device, the method comprising:

accessing a record indicating a public Internet Protocol (IP) address used by the fixed device;

accessing a monitoring data record received from a mobile device;

determining, with a processor, a demographic segment of a user of the mobile device;

associating, with the processor, the mobile device with the fixed device when an IP address of the mobile device from the monitoring data record matches the public IP address used by the fixed device; and

associating the demographic segment of the user of the mobile device with the fixed device based on the association of the mobile device and the fixed device.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the monitoring data record is a first monitoring data record and is associated with a first time, and further comprising analyzing, with the processor, a second mobile monitoring data record associated with a second time to determine a probability of presence that the demographic segment was present at the fixed device at the second time based on whether the IP address of the second monitoring data record matches the public IP address used by the fixed device.

3. The method as defined in claim 2, further comprising comparing a first audio sample associated with the fixed device at approximately the second time to a second audio sample associated with the mobile device at approximately the second time, and wherein the determination of the probability of presence that the demographic segment was present at the fixed device at the second time is further based on whether the first audio sample matches the second audio sample.

4. The method as defined in claim 2, further comprising analyzing a result of a scan of a local area network performed by the fixed device at the second time, and wherein the determination of whether the demographic segment was present at the fixed device at the second time is further based on whether the mobile device is detected within the result of the scan of the local area network.

5. The method as defined in claim 4, wherein the scan of the local area network is a port scan.

6. The method as described in claim 1, further comprising estimating the demographic segment by:

aggregating monitoring data records received from the mobile device;

comparing the aggregated monitoring data records to media habits of users having a known demographic; and

selecting a demographic segment that exhibits media habits matching those of the aggregated monitoring data.

7. The method as described in claim 1, further comprising associating the mobile device with the fixed device by determining whether the mobile device exhibits a threshold pattern of usage of the public IP address of the fixed device.

8. The method as described in claim 7, wherein the threshold pattern of usage is a frequency of at least once a week.

9. The method as described in claim 1, further comprising determining the demographic segment of the user of the mobile device by requesting the demographic segment of the user from a database proprietor.

10. An apparatus comprising:

a monitoring data processor to access a record indicating a public Internet Protocol (IP) address used by a fixed device, the monitoring data processor to access a monitoring data record received from a mobile device, the monitoring data processor to associate the mobile device with the fixed device when an IP address of the mobile device from the monitoring data record matches the public IP address used by the fixed device; and

a demographic segment estimator to estimate a demographic segment of a user of the mobile device, the demographic segment estimator to impute the demographic segment of the user of the mobile device to the fixed device based on the association of the mobile device and the fixed device.

11. The apparatus as described in claim 10, wherein the fixed device is an Internet of Things device.

12. The apparatus as described in claim 10, wherein the fixed device is a connected television.

13. The apparatus as described in claim 10, wherein the monitoring data record is a first monitoring data record and is associated with a first time, and further comprising a probability estimator to determine a probability that the demographic segment of the user of the mobile device was present at the fixed device at a second time based on whether an IP address of a second monitoring data record received from the mobile device matches the public IP address used by the fixed device.

14. The apparatus as described in claim 10, further comprising a geographic region determiner to determine a geographic region of the fixed device by performing a lookup using the public IP address of the fixed device.

15. The apparatus as described in claim 10, wherein the monitoring data processor is further to associate the mobile device with the fixed device when the IP address of the mobile device exhibits a pattern of matching the public IP address used by the fixed device.

16. The apparatus as described in claim 10, wherein the demographic segment estimator is to estimate the demographic segment of the user of the mobile device by requesting demographic information of the user of the mobile device from a database proprietor.

17. A tangible machine-readable storage medium comprising instructions which, when executed, cause a machine to at least:

access a record indicating a public Internet Protocol (IP) address used by a fixed device;

access a monitoring data record received from a mobile device;

determine a demographic segment of a user of the mobile device;

associate the mobile device with the fixed device when an IP address of the mobile device from the monitoring data record matches the public IP address used by the fixed device; and

associate the demographic segment of the user of the mobile device with the fixed device based on the association of the mobile device and the fixed device.

18. The tangible machine-readable medium as described in claim 17, wherein the monitoring data record is a first monitoring data record and is associated with a first time, and the instructions cause the machine to analyze a second mobile monitoring data record associated with a second time to determine whether the demographic segment was present at the fixed device at the second time based on whether the IP address of the second monitoring data record matches the public IP address used by the fixed device.

19. The tangible machine-readable medium as described in claim 18, wherein the instructions cause the machine to compare a first audio sample received from the fixed device in association with the second time to a second audio sample received from the fixed device in association with the second time, and wherein the determination of whether the demographic segment was present at the fixed device at the second time is further based on whether the first audio sample matches the second audio sample.

20. The tangible machine-readable medium as described in claim 18, wherein the instructions cause the machine to analyze a result of a scan of a local area network performed by the fixed device at the second time, and wherein the determination of whether the demographic segment was present at the fixed device at the second time is further based on whether the mobile device is detected within the result of the scan of the local area network.

21. The tangible machine readable medium as described in claim 18, wherein the scan of the local area network is a port scan.

22. The tangible machine-readable medium as described in claim 17, further comprising instructions which, when executed, cause the machine to at least:

aggregate monitoring data records received from the mobile device;

compare the aggregated monitoring data records to media habits of users having a known demographic; and

select a demographic segment that exhibits media habits matching those of the aggregated monitoring data.

23. The tangible machine-readable medium as described in claim 17, further comprising instructions which, when executed, cause the machine to at least associate the mobile device with the fixed device by determining whether the mobile device exhibits a threshold pattern of usage of the public IP address of the fixed device.

24. The tangible machine-readable medium as described in claim 20, wherein the threshold pattern of usage is a frequency of at least once a week.

25. The tangible machine-readable medium as described in claim 17, further comprising instructions which, when executed, cause the machine to determine the demographic segment of the user of the mobile device by requesting the demographic segment of the user from a database proprietor.